


The Unnaturals

by monkeytylee



Series: The Unnaturals [1]
Category: Unnaturals - Fandom
Genre: Bisexual Female Character, Black Character(s), Canon Gay Character, Canon Lesbian Character, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, F/M, Fantasy, Female Character of Color, GL, M/M, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Superhuman, Superpowers, Trans Female Character, red and blue - Freeform, they’re gay, unnatural, wlw
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 08:08:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 20,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29310864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monkeytylee/pseuds/monkeytylee
Summary: Via has never had a normal life. In the suburbs of Detroit, she was just another common teenage girl. What will happen when her life gets flipped upside down by a fire and revealed secrets?Clarity is the perfect girl. With a 4.0 GPA, she has big goals for her future, but she doesn't have the same beliefs as her parents. What will happen when she and her best friend learn things about themselves that could change their lives?Unnaturals, people with superpowers, are highly feared in society. It might seem cool to have an inhuman ability. The price that comes with the power, though, isn't something anyone should have to deal with. Especially a group of teenagers.
Series: The Unnaturals [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2152905
Kudos: 1





	1. 1

Via-1

My Saturday started off boring like they all do. Sun shone through the window of my room. I woke up unwillingly, laid in my lumpy bed for a while, ate a bit of a banana, and then went to the pine forest. There usually isn’t a lot of empty forest in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, but I was lucky enough to live near one. It’s rare to have wilderness near a fairly large city. I quickly got dressed in an old black leather jacket and torn up jeans. I shoved a black cap onto my messy hair and ran out the door. To the woods I go. 

By the way, the name’s Via. I’m basically just your typical teen. I’m tall, with dark hair and brown eyes. I like music. I’m an average student. I’m nothing out of the ordinary. But I’m different. You’ll understand sometime soon.

Anyways, I ran over to where my tree fort was. It has a roof of just some strong branches tied together with cording. The special part of this fort is the large willow tree in the center. It’s one of the only willows in this forest, so I claimed it as my own. My best friend and I made the fort, which we dubbed Fort Claria, years ago, and it’s still holding up pretty well. I sat down on the wooden stool I made in shop class last year and looked around at my surroundings for a while.

The wilderness is very peaceful. It’s a great escape from my house. This is my true home. Sometimes, I sit so still that rabbits and squirrels come and sit right in front of me. It’s amazing being unnoticed and alone. The peace would soon be disturbed, though.

I waited for Clarity, my best friend since 1st grade. I checked my watch; the time was 9:30. She should be here pretty soon. While I waited, I used my dad’s pocket knife that I stole to carve my name into the stool I was on. My real name’s Sylvia, but I hate it. It’s way too girly for me. One time, me and Clarity were in class. She was reading a book, and a sentence said ‘he flew to New York via London.’ Clarity had written ‘syl’ in front of the word to make Sylvia. I crossed out her handwriting. I liked Via better.

I heard quick footsteps and glanced over to see her. Clarity Levett was fairly short, with shoulder length light blonde hair usually messily tied into a ponytail. She was wearing her usual white shirt and black leggings, but she added a blue cowl over the shirt. I got it for her as a joke when we were at a thrift store, and she’s worn it ever since. I’ve never understood why. Clarity looked over at me with bright blue eyes that would catch your attention immediately. She smiled a huge, perfect, blinding smile. The beauty dot on her right cheek crinkled.

“Hey, V!” she yelled as she ran over.

“Hey,” I replied. I stood up and stretched out. Clarity grabbed my hand and started running in the direction she came from. 

“Slow down! Where are we going?” I shouted as I was practically dragged through the dirt. I didn’t get a response, and so I kept following behind my friend.

After a few minutes of stumbling through the woods, I saw a rickety wooden bench. Clarity pointed at it. 

“It’s… a bench,’ I said. Clarity nodded.

“But look,” she replied, “It has things written on it.” She pointed to a sentence that read: There’s something in the rock. 

“What is that supposed to mean?” I asked. I studied the messy writing. It looked familiar to me, but I couldn’t place where I’d seen it. “I recognize it.”

“That’s weird. Anyways, I think I know what it’s talking about. There’s a big boulder in the middle of the woods. We have to go there!” Clarity stated enthusiastically. 

“Fine,” I replied. I know she really likes solving mysteries and exploring. I personally was not interested in this search, but sometimes I have to be nice. Together we headed into the darkest part of the woods.

  
  
  


Clarity-1

Via is a good friend. Don’t get me wrong. She is just reckless, and mean, and scary, but the biggest softie. She looks tough, but she really does have a kind heart. I think. I try to hang out with her as much as I can since she has no other friends, and her home life is rough. It’s not like I’m forced to be friends with her, though. Via knows me better than anyone, though I’m not sure if I really do know her.

I dragged Via along by the wrist. She is pretty slow and lazy even with her long legs. We came to a stop when we reached a large boulder covered in moss.

“It looks like a normal boulder to me,” Via commented. She ran her hand along the soft moss.

“Someone wrote on the bench for a reason,” I replied, “so now we just need to find out why.” I ran my fingers against the bottom of the boulder trying to feel for a lever or button. There was nothing.

All of a sudden, I heard a loud ringing noise. I looked up to see Via on her phone. 

“It’s my dad. I gotta go. Sorry Clar.” Via quickly ran off leaving me alone in the dark woods. Typical Via.

I took a long walk out of the woods to where I chained my bike to a pole. I hopped onto the shimmery blue bike and slowly pedaled home. While going through the suburbs of Detroit, I took some time to think. I’m lucky to have a good family. My parents are doctors and my older brother is off at college to become a surgeon. I get decent grades, too, but I always feel like I’m disappointing someone. I’ve never had the family gift of loving everything medical. Blood really disgusts me, so while my parents are at work making lots of money, I’m working my shift at McDonalds. My dyslexia doesn’t help anything either. I shouldn’t feel bad for myself, though. There’s a lot of people who go through much worse.

I’m almost home. I live on a nice street in a fairly large house. The other side of the neighborhood isn’t as safe, though, so I’m not permitted to go there. I’ve heard it’s occupied by many Unnaturals and police raids happen all of the time. When I got home, there were police officers surrounding the house next door. There’s where the old lady and her granddaughter live. I’ve heard the granddaughter, named Lily, is an orphan since both of her parents were killed in war. She’s nice, but she’s very quiet, has severe OCD, and has a weird plant obsession. It must be hard living without her parents around so maybe her plants are a coping mechanism. I walked into my driveway and stared at what was happening next door for a minute. A police officer saw me staring so I quickly scurried inside. I wonder what’s going on?

I ran up to my room to stare down at the situation next door. I waited for a few minutes with nothing happening, but then I heard shouting and a door banging open. Lily was escorted outside in handcuffs by a special team of people in navy and white uniforms. It’s the UCA, also known as the Unnatural Containment Agency. Why were they here? When I saw plants sprouting from the lawn next door at an alarming rate, I realized. Lily must be an Unnatural. She was dragged into a van screaming while her grandmother just had to watch.

Unnaturals are highly dangerous. Citizens are told to tell the police if they ever see one using their powers. All Unnaturals are different, but always strong. Lily must’ve been able to control plants. There was a famous criminal named Randal Booker who was able to steal powers from others to use temporarily. The list of powers they can have are endless. Some are stronger than others, though. I’ve heard a saying that great power comes with great consequences, and that’s true for Unnaturals. They usually have some sort of disability. Lily had horrible OCD. Randal Booker had schizophrenia. It must be hard to live with conditions like that, but getting powers is cool anyways. It’s not fun having dyslexia, but at least I’m not hunted down by the government.

The police left the house. I sat down on my white bean bag in my room and took out a sketchbook to pass the time until I had to go to work. I sketched plants, hospitals, and jail cells. It’s a weird combination. Around an hour later I got up to head to work. This is just another day in the life of Clarity.


	2. Discovery

Via-2

My dad is screaming at me for sneaking out even though I told him I was leaving. He must’ve been too drunk to remember. Now I’m grounded for a week. This will be fun.  
I sat on my bed and grabbed my guitar from its stand. I strummed some chords and closed my eyes. I wish I had Clar’s parents. I have to live here in this dump with my deadbeat dad and no mom. I’m just known as the broke girl without a mother figure. I don’t even understand what my mom saw in him. My dad has greasy black hair and a big gut. All he does is sit on the couch with his beer. I’m not even sure what he does for work since I’m never around to find out. I wish I could just have a fresh start.  
My thoughts were interrupted by my dad telling me to ‘stop that racket’. I put my acoustic guitar on the floor and laid back onto my bed. I guess I’ll just sleep the weekend away and go back to school Monday.

All I did Sunday was sleep. I didn’t leave my room once since I have a stash of snacks and soda in my closet. I got dressed into a black sweatshirt and black shorts. I’m a very colorful person, right? I shoved on my off brand sneakers and ran out the door. I hopped onto my rusted bike and started pedaling to school.  
I don’t like school. All the students are jerks. So are the teachers. The worst part is I don’t have Clarity. She goes to some fancy private Christian school uptown. I’m stuck at public school where I learn nothing. I throw my bike down against a tree and enter the building.  
First hour is biology. It’s not the worst class, but I can’t stand my lab partner. He picks on me whenever he can, but soon I’ll get revenge. He’s new this year. All of the other students know that I will snap if I’m pushed too hard. He doesn’t want to see what happens if he drives me that insane. And he’s close. I put up with that class and make my way through the rest of the day.

I go to my house and go straight to my room. My dad is passed out on the couch with the TV on. This is normal. I sat on my bed and grabbed a picture from the drawer in my nightstand. It’s a picture of a woman with brown hair and beautiful green eyes. A small kid with messy black hair is on her shoulders. I smile looking at my mother. She would always say I was special. I never understood why, though. I know now.  
I put the photo down and sat facing the wall. I closed my eyes and concentrated for a moment. I thought dark thoughts. Anger. Sadness. Fear. All that stuff. I opened my eyes to see myself shrouded in a thin layer of a shadowy substance. It was like a wispy smoke, except jet black. All of a sudden a horrible headache overtook me. That was a bad idea.   
I’m not sure if I like being special. Clarity talks about the Unnaturals all the time, and I know every bad thing that can happen if one gets caught. My motto in life is to stay hidden and move quickly. I don’t need to be seen. I don’t want to be seen. All I want is to survive, but that’s hard when you’re Unnatural.

  
Clarity-2

I like going to school. I’m good at science, gym, and every other subject except math and English. Reading is hard for me. The letters and numbers get all jumbled up and it confuses me horribly. My teachers say I would be getting all A’s if I could actually understand anything. My dyslexic self is too stubborn to get help, though. I’m smart enough to do my work on my own. I can overcome this.  
I have some good friends at school, but I’m not as close to any of them as I am with Via. They’re nice people though sometimes they can be a little overdramatic. All the girls in my grade just care about the ‘cool’ public school boys. It doesn’t interest me. I just need to focus on working harder at school and getting a better job. Via is enough for me.  
I sat in English class along with some of my friends. Our teacher was out sick today and our substitute didn’t show, so we basically just have a free period. My friends were gossiping about students at the public school while I sketched on a scrap piece of paper. One of the girls, Leah, tapped my shoulder.  
“Hey, Clar, aren’t you friends with that Sylvia girl?” she asked with a smirk on her face.  
“Yes, I am, and her name’s Via. Why?” I didn’t like how they were looking at me.   
“She’s such a loser,” another girl chimed in, “she’s so broke she can’t even afford a REAL pair of shoes.” The girl pointed to her fancy brand name sneakers.  
“Yeah, Clarity, why are you even friends with that creep? I heard her dad does drugs, and she probably does too. Explains why her mom left,” Leah said as she sneered at me.  
Another girl started talking too. “She’s definitely messed up. I’ve heard rumors that Sylvia is—“  
“Her name is Via,” I shouted before stomping out of the room. I heard people laughing behind me. They can’t be mean to my friend like that! They don’t even know her! I guess I’ll just wait in the bathroom for my next class.  
  
It’s time for gym. None of my “friends” are in that class. I can finally have a nice break. I really enjoy sports, but I’m very short, which makes it hard to play some of my favorites. I love basketball but there’s no hope that I could ever dunk. I’m stuck in the middle of being decent at sports and decent at school.   
We’re playing dodgeball today, and probably tomorrow, and probably the next day. We played yesterday too. Our teacher is some old guy who shouldn’t even be teaching, much less running a physical education class. He just dumps out some rubber balls and lets us do whatever we want. Thankfully, the kids in my class aren’t very reckless, and we just play a civilized game. I was picked to be team captain and I have a decent team. It doesn’t matter if we win as long as we have fun, anyways!   
The game started off fine. Just a normal fun game of dodgeball. That was until someone chucked a weighted ball that somehow got into the mix with the rubber balls. Of course it was thrown to me, and of course I wasn’t paying attention. I got nailed right in the stomach and went flying backwards.   
Do you know how quickly the air around us moves? I definitely don’t, but all that wind that came out of my mouth must’ve been much faster. I couldn’t breathe for a solid minute. The students came rushing over asking if I was okay, and I just shrugged them off. I’m a tough person, but man, that hurt like heck. I can’t show weakness though. I went to the locker room early to check for bruising.

My stomach is like a purple and blue painting, but it doesn’t hurt much anymore. Just looking at the bruise disgusts me. I went to sit down and relax for a minute on the benches in the locker room. I’m not in the mood to talk to anyone, so I am definitely not going back to the gym. I open up my locker to grab my phone out of my bag. It’s the newest model with a fantastic camera, but it’s more than enough for me. I’m humble.

Instead of checking social media or playing games like a normal teenager, I went to my camera roll and looked at my pictures. I have so many of me and Via having fun together and doing stupid things. I smile at a photo of the time we went to Lake St. Clair together. Via ended up taking a small kayak on the large lake while I sat on a public dock and watched. Waves took her down in the first 2 minutes she was out there, and she came out with algae all on her head! I laugh a bit, feeling much better.

Is it weird that my stomach doesn’t hurt at all anymore? Even touching it doesn’t make me wince at all. I went back to the bathroom to look in the mirror at my stomach and what I saw shocked me: nothing. No bruising. All that was there was my pale stomach. A bruise like that would take weeks to heal! How was that so fast? I sat back down to think for a moment, and I remembered something I heard in a podcast once. Unnaturals’ powers are usually triggered by emotion. Unnaturals have a sort of disability or disorder. Unnaturals don’t fit in with other people. I was very happy just now, I have dyslexia, and I don’t fit it. I slapped myself across the face for an experiment. It hurt insanely badly for a few seconds, but the red hand mark went away almost immediately. Uh oh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uh oh


	3. Stick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Blood, abuse, fire

Via-3

Today’s Tuesday and I’m still grounded. I haven’t spoken to my dad for a few days now since I’ve either been in my room or at school. While walking to school, I checked my phone and saw some texts from Clarity asking when I wouldn’t be grounded. I didn’t respond. 

I’m almost at school when I see a sports car full of prissy private school girls inside. These rich kids are the exact kind of people I hate. Of course they had to slow down when they got near me.

“Ew, Sylvia! Can’t believe Clar is her friend. Gross,” I heard the driver shout. She sneered and waited for a response. I couldn’t just stand there and be silent.

“You don’t deserve to call her that, jerk. I doubt you even know anything about her,” I yelled back and kept walking. Suddenly I felt a splash of something burning on my legs and feet. The old ‘spill coffee on the poor girl’ trick. Wow, so creative. The girls in the car laughed, but they stopped when I took a rock from the ground and threw it at the car. It made a very small dent that a normal human wouldn’t even notice, but the girls freaked out. They cursed at me as they drove away. I’m not a nice person, and they really help bring that out in me. I kept walking to school.

School was boring. Nothing special happened; it was just a normal day at a normal school. Today wasn’t horrible until I got home. My dad was waiting for me on the couch, which smelled odd.

“Where have you been?!” He shouted in a gruff voice.

“At school? Where I was supposed to be?” I smelled alcohol on his breath.

“You’re grounded! You don’t get to see your friends at school!” His voice was filled with anger. Anyways, it’s not like I have friends at school.

“You know what, dad? You’re a psycho. I’m leaving.” I ran to my room but my dad blocked me. He glared at me as he lit a cigar with a match.

“You’re not going anywhere, kid. Neither of us are.” He got a twisted smile on his face as he threw the lit match to a large puddle on the couch. I realized what I’d smelled earlier: gasoline. The cushion burst into flames and I knew I had to get out of here. My dad started to realize what he’d done and got water from the kitchen, but the fire had already started to spread. I’m lucky that I’ve had a bag packed for years for when I was ready to get out of this dump. I dashed to my room and grabbed a cheap black backpack and a photo of my mom from my drawer. I started digging around for my guitar case, but it was getting too late. Flames started sliding from under the door and I knew I had to get out. I yanked my guitar out from under my bed, slipped out of the window, and ran as fast as I could away from here.

I had gone straight to the center of Detroit where I can blend in the easiest. After sitting on a bench for a few hours, looking like a bum, I decided to get up and walk around. I strolled by a wall of TVs that were all on the same channel. The news showed a small burned down house and an ambulance. There was a stretcher with a white sheet being rolled into the vehicle. Dad. Uh oh. He was the only other person in the house, so there’s only one person who could be under that sheet. I guess I truly am an orphan.

Most children would be mortified by the death of a parent. I’ve already dealt with it once, so I guess I’m used to it by now. Dad was a jerk anyway. But what happens now? Am I a runaway? A criminal? Homeless? Well, I know what I’m not: grounded. 

  
  
  


Clarity-3

  
  


I watched the news and I’m terrified. Was Via in the house? I don’t want her to get hurt. She CAN’T get hurt. I need her. My worrying was interrupted by my phone ringing. Via! I answered but couldn’t make out much of what she was saying. I mostly heard forest, and rock. I knew exactly where to go, though. I wrote a note for my parents on the counter and grabbed a bag. I’m not sure when I’ll be back, since any time with Via will be wild.

I met Via at the edge of the pine forest. She looked like a total mess and smelled of smoke. Her leather jacket was charred on the edges, and so was her hair. 

“Via! Are you okay? You don’t look so good,” I shouted as I ran up to give her a hug. She stood there awkwardly.

“I’m fine, just a little sleepy. I need to lie down for a minute,” she said and slumped down against a tree. She was out cold in a few seconds.

Something I should’ve mentioned earlier about Via is that she has a condition called narcolepsy. It makes her extremely tired during the day and sometimes she’ll randomly fall asleep. She has bad insomnia at night and is almost always away at very late hours. It must be very tough to deal with. Anyways, there’s no guessing how long she’ll be asleep for, so I guess I’ll just rest for a minute too. I sat down next to her and shut my eyes.

I was woken up by sirens nearby. Via was still dead asleep. I heard the sound getting closer and I had a thought: what if the police are hunting for the person who burnt down the house? Via could be the number one suspect. I shook V, but she was still out cold. I picked her up, tossed her around my shoulders, and started running deeper into the woods.

I may be short, but I don’t lack muscle. Via is a lot taller than me but also very skinny. It wasn’t too hard for me to carry her, but her legs kept hitting into trees. She better wake up soon before I drop her. 

Via jerked awake all of a sudden. 

“Clar? What’s happening!?” She shouted. I got startled and dropped her.

“Ah, you’re awake! Sorry! I heard sirens and started running,” I put my hand down to help her up when I saw a large cut going down her right eye. Her eye was a bloody mess to say the least. It was disgusting. Via must’ve noticed my expression had changed and started to panic.

“Clar? I can’t see,” she shouted, “what happened?” Via put her hand up to her eye and it came away bloodied. She stared at the blood with a shocked look.

I couldn’t stand to look, so I turned my back. “It must’ve gotten scratched by a branch or something. At one point I had to run through a lot of sticks. I have some scratches too,” I commented without looking at her.

“Clar? I’m scared. I’m all alone. I’m hurt. What if I need to get my eye removed?” Via was clearly panicking. She was breathing heavily and holding her hand against her eye. I slumped down next to her and gave her a hug.

“You’re not alone, and I doubt it’s that bad. You’ll be ok.” I mumbled. I wish I could try to heal her, but I don’t trust myself enough. I can’t hurt her. Right now we need to get somewhere safe. “Come on, V, let's get to that boulder.”

We made our way through the thick woods. Via had taken some Advil she found in her bag, but she was still in horrible pain. We had to find some shelter quick. In a few minutes, we reached the rock. 

“Let’s look for any switches or buttons around here. There could be something hidden,” I said and started searching. I searched on the side of trees, on the boulder, and up in the branches but I still found nothing until I tripped on a clump of rocks near a pond. I luckily didn’t fall in the pond but I found something better. There was a small wooden switch hidden under one of the rocks. I pulled it. I heard a creaking and sliding noise and ran over to see the middle of the boulder sliding down to create an entrance. A dark staircase appeared at the doorway.

“That’s cool. What now?” Via asked, “Let me guess, we enter?”

I nodded and stepped down into the unknown.

I’m only 15. I’m not brave. I just felt a pull, like I had to go down there. Usually I don’t make bold decisions like this; I take the safe route. I felt like I needed a change in my life. I definitely got one. 

Via followed after me into what seemed to be a bunker. A thin layer of dust covered everything in the room. Plastic chairs were placed before a long metal desk. An old couch sat in the corner. Something about this place felt off.

“This is cool,” Via commented as she walked around. She sat herself before an ancient computer and started pressing random keys. Her eye was dripping blood into the computer, and I knew she needed some bandages quick. She was going into shock.

“Via! Don’t touch stuff! This could be dangerous,” I yelled at her. I ran my hand across the wall. The dust was wiped off, and on the stone wall, letters appeared. A U and a N. What does that mean?

Via stared in the direction of the letters. She pressed some keys on the computer, and I heard a sliding noise. 

“What’d you do?” I asked as I turned to see part of the wall sliding upwards. A secret passageway was revealed.

“I was smart. I typed in UN. I guess it worked.” Via walked over to the doorway. “Check it out. This is cool.” She walked inside.

“I guess this is happening,” I said, “so let’s not die or get arrested for trespassing today, alright?”


	4. Axe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TW: mean parents

Via-4

I make bad decisions. I don’t listen to people. I’m not a good person. All I want in life is to be remembered. Hopefully I find something amazing in this weird and dusty old room.

The new room we entered was odd. It was much larger than the other, and it had large glass cages. I walked up to one and struggled to read the label with one eye: Celerus. It sounds like celery, I thought. The other labels were torn up and hard to read. I put my hand up to the glass of the first cage. It was cold, though the room wasn’t. Something here didn’t feel right.

I watched Clarity as she wandered around the room looking for medical supplies. She sat herself in a chair and looked over some books sitting on the table. I looked closer. They were all about superpowers, and the people that had them, called Unnaturals. Some notes were scribbled in the book, but they were hard to read. 

I walked away from Clarity and a glint caught my eye. A shiny gray metal battle axe was just sitting on a table. It was dull, but I could tell it had once been well used. I picked it up. The grip seemed to fit my hand perfectly, and it was very lightweight. As I tilted it to look at the blade, a note fell down from the bottom of it. I picked it up and read: ‘S— Tenebrium is powerful, and so are you. Channel yourself through it and you will make us all proud.’ Weird. My name starts with an S. Is this meant to go to me? The handwriting definitely looked familiar, but there’s many people that have names that start with S. I turned the note over and saw a picture of Aspen, Colorado. I went there with my mom when I was very young. We went only a few months before she went missing when I was 7. I had a gut feeling that this note was meant for me, but I wasn’t exactly sure. I shoved it in my pocket just in case and walked away holding the axe.

I started feeling faint so I leaned against a wall and looked over the room. It was much more sinister than the last room. This looked like the kind of area experiments would happen since it had these creepy cages. Yet something about this place felt like it was safe. 

Clarity came running over to me with some bandages she found. She instructed me to stay still as she wrapped them around my head. It was very uncomfortable.

“Isn’t there anything we can do to help the pain? I have high pain tolerance, but still, this kills,” I said. There must be something here that can help me.

Clarity sighed. “Via, there’s something I need to tell you. I think—“ she was cut off since I ran over to the first room. I saw a door on the side of the wall. I opened it and it showed a long hallway with doors on each side. There was one door at the end. 

“I call that room!” I yelled and ran over to it. I opened the creaky wooden door and walked into the room. There was a little metal desk, a black leather couch, and a punching bag in the corner. I felt like this place was meant for me. I went to go sit down but Clarity interrupted me.

“Via, please listen! I really need to talk to—“ she was interrupted yet again by me kicking the punching bag. It was a good weight, but a little heavy. I can get stronger though. I went to kick again but Clarity shouted.

“I’M AN UNNATURAL!” she yelled. Everything was silent for a moment. “I-.. I think I can heal people. I’ve only tried on myself though. I can help you, V. Please.” She looked ashamed and nervous.

“Clar, what’s wrong with that? Unnaturals are awesome! But, are you sure you can heal me? I don’t want anything to backfire.” I would’ve told Clarity about what I can do, but I don’t want her to be in any more danger. I’m not very good at controlling my powers, and I’m not even sure what they are.

“I think I can. Let’s do this.”

  
  
  


Clarity-4

I put my hand up to Via’s exposed eye while she told me jokes to make me happy. I concentrated my energy to my hand and I felt a warmth. My hand started to glow a nice gold color. The energy seemed to seep into Via’s face. I took my hand away to reveal a scab where the cut was. Via opened her eye, and I took a shocked step back. It was all white.

“Clar, I still can’t see. Did… did it not work..?” Via mumbled.

“There’s a scab where the cut was, but it seems your eye couldn’t heal all the way.” I stared into the blank eye. It was unsettling. “Stay here, V. I’m going to run to the store since I’M not wanted for murder.”

The October winds were getting colder and colder each day. The walk to the supermarket was far, but I had a lot of time to think. Was Via really ok with me being unnatural? Why couldn’t I heal her eye? It was my fault she got hurt in the first place. I should’ve been more careful. 

Before I left home, I took a wad of cash from my dad’s safe. It should be enough to last us for a little while just in case. I got some healthy food for me and lots of junk for V. I wasn’t sure if there was a stove or microwave, but I got pasta since I know Via loves it. I ended up in the Halloween aisle after doing all of my food shopping. I saw a certain costume and I knew I needed to get it. I checked out and headed back to the cave.

“Via, I’m back!” I shouted and entered the room at the end of the hallway. Via was sleeping on the couch. I sighed and dropped the costume at her feet and went to check for a kitchen. I looked at each room in the hallway, but none of them really stood out to me as one I would want. I found a kitchen too with running water and a working fridge, stove, and microwave. I put the food I bought on the counter and went to choose a room for myself. I decided on the room next to Via’s since it had a nice bed. I was pretty sure Via’s room didn’t even have one, but I doubted she needed one. I flopped down onto the bed and had a nice sleep.

I was woken up by a knock on the door. Via slowly opened it and walked in. 

“Clar? You awake? Hello?” She flicked me in the forehead with her pointer finger.

I groaned and rolled my eyes. “Well, I guess I am now. How long have I been sleeping for?”

Via smirked. “Long enough for me to get this.” She held up a huge bucket of paint.

“Via! You shouldn’t go into town! The cops might be out there looking for you, since you’re the number one suspect with your, uh, dad. Well, anyways… what color did you get?”

“All of them.” Via grabbed my hand and pulled me up. “Come on, let’s decorate.”

Via really did get all of them. Blue, red, black, white, and lots more. She got 3 different shades of blue and way too many of gray. We ended up spending the rest of the day painting. Via painted her walls a dark gray, while mine were light blue. I had the idea to paint our doors bright colors to add more pop to the white hallway. My door was an electric blue while Via’s was bright red. It looked pretty cool. We painted the kitchen light green and the living room navy blue. We left the creepy lab room alone. I was really starting to miss my home, though. I’ve only been gone a day and I think I should go visit my family. I think I’ll go next time Via falls asleep. I want to protect her, but I need my family more. I’m sorry. V. 

I arrived home after a short walk. Surprisingly, my parents were home. It was only 3pm, so that seemed odd. When I opened the door, I saw them sitting at the counter. My mom whipped her blonde head around to see me. 

“Clarity Dawn Levett! Where have you been?” She shouted at me.

“Probably with that Gryphon girl again,” my dad mumbled. “She’s no good. Stay away from her. She probably killed her own dad!”

I was filled with rage, but I tried to keep calm. “She’s a good person, alright? Via’s just in a bad place right now. I’m here to grab something. I’ll be leaving again soon.” I said in a calm voice. I walked past my parents and went up the stairs. My mom tried to follow me, but she tripped on the last stair. She hit her head against the hardwood floor. “Mom! Are you okay?” I instinctively put my hands to her head to try and heal her, but then I realized what I did. My mom slowly stood up and rubbed her head.

“It… doesn’t hurt anymore. Clarity, what did you do?” My mom started to look scared.

“Mom, I think...I think I’m..”

My dad rushed over. “Barb, it’s an Unnatural! Stay away from her!” He pushed my mom out of the way. “Get out of my house, you, you unholy child!" His voice was filled with rage.

“Dad, I didn’t do anything! I just tried to help!” I said, my voice wobbly.

“I’m calling the cops,” my mom said behind my dad. I took this as my chance to run, but I couldn’t go down the stairs since that was where my parents were. I decided to run to their room. I’m pretty sure they have an emergency ladder somewhere here. I dug around in their closet for it, but I found something better; money. I shoved it into my pocket and kept searching. I found the ladder under a pile of clothes and attached it to a post on the bed, then lowered myself down. I could hear sirens approaching. I hit the ground running. That was a nice family visit.


	5. Celery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: fighting, police

Via-5

  
  


Clarity would be grounded if she didn’t bring back so much money. She told me her story, but I may or may not have fallen asleep in the middle of it. All I know is that we’re both wanted by the police. No more Target runs, I guess. I still haven’t opened what Clarity had got me from her last shopping trip. I’m not in a good mood. When I look in the mirror, all I see is the huge scab across my eye. I can hardly even see anything on my right, which gives Clar a good opportunity to sneak up on me. I always have my guard up; I’ll have to have it even higher now that I can’t see well. I went to go to my room to sit on the couch, and I saw the box. I opened it.

A pirate costume. She got me a pirate costume. With the sword, the eyepatch, and everything. I put it on and walked into her room. 

“Arrgh, mateys! I can’t seem to see well.” I had put my eyepatch over my one good eye. Clarity started chuckling and stood up. She walked over to me and switched the eyepatch to the other eye. I flinched at the contact but smiled too. Wow, she has really blue eyes. 

“Very stylish. It fits you well.” Clarity said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. The costume was huge. I laughed and went back to my room to change. 

I decided to keep the eyepatch on. It covered up most of the ugly scab, and I’d rather look like a pirate then always see that gross red thing. It looks cool anyways. It’s made of black leather and an elastic strap. It isn’t very comfortable, but I can deal with it.

I really don’t enjoy keeping my secret from Clarity. She’s just like me, so she deserves to know! I’m just nervous but I don’t know why. Sometimes I feel like I’ll never be good enough for her. She’s so smart and kind, and I’m… not. I can’t keep this secret. I can’t stay in this bunker either, though. I need to be free.

Clarity went to bed early, at 9pm. I was wide awake. I took a deep breath and quietly tiptoed out of the cave. I pulled my hood up and tried to stay out of sight. A teenager with an eyepatch would definitely stand out. I wore all black to blend in with the dark. I approached my house, which was surrounded by police tape. There weren’t any cop cars outside. I snuck to the backyard and started digging with my hands in the dirt. 

I made huge holes all over the yard, yet I still couldn’t find it. When I was younger, I had made a time capsule. I put money that I had either found or stole inside of it. I could really use that right now. It was hard to dig deep with only my hands. The ground was freezing, and I knew I would need a shovel. Good thing I brought one. Kind of. I unstrapped the gray battle axe from my back and started chopping into the ground. 

I tore up the whole yard before hitting something solid. I took a small cardboard box out from the whole I had made. There was a huge slash in the middle from the axe. I cursed and opened up the box. The money was intact, but a photo was cut in half. I picked up the two pieces. It was a picture of me and my mom at the lake. It’s one of the only pictures I have of her, and I damaged it. The photo was the least of my worries, though. I heard a siren and someone shouting ‘Police! Hands up!’. I ran.

They must’ve thought I was burying a body, because they didn’t hesitate to start shooting those rubber bullets. Luckily, I was wide awake. I ran as quick as I could into the woods, but the cops followed after me. I heard a gunshot but didn’t see a bullet. I whipped around and caught the bullet. You might ask how I caught a piece of metal that would easily penetrate through my hand. I looked over to my blind right side and saw the bullet suspended midair by a black blob of smoke. It soon flickered away and the bullet dropped to the ground. The police stared, and I heard someone call for the UCA. I took this as my chance to shroud myself in shadows and get away. I was all alone when I entered the bunker. I went to sit on the couch when someone turned around in a chair. 

“Via, where were—?” Clarity asked, but then noticed I was still wrapped in darkness. I stopped and fell asleep right there.

When I woke up, Clar was poking my face. Her eyes lit up when she saw me, but then she got an angry expression.

“First, you snuck out. Second, you lied to me. Third, you’re an Unnatural?” Clarity yelled. I smirked.

“Okay, mom. Anyways, I want to go check out that creepy room.” I got up and walked over to avoid conversation. I opened the door with a creak and peered inside. The test tubes looked the same, except I noticed something this time: the one on the right, labeled ‘Celerus’, was broken open. I slowly walked inside with Clarity following behind me.

“Via, this isn’t a good idea! We should get—“ she was cut off when she screamed. I whipped around to see her entire leg in a deep hole.

“Woah, what’s that?” I turned on my phone flashlight. It was a bad idea. Behind Clarity was this large eel like creature. It was neon purple with electric blue eyes like Clar’s and a yellow bolt pattern. It hissed and dove at Clarity.

Without thinking, I leaped at the creature with my hand covered in shadows. I punched the eel in the eye and it shrunk back, but it soon rose up again. I helped Clarity up and walked backwards.

“Stay quiet. It might not have good eyesight.” Clarity whispered. “I read about this thing before. It’s one of the creatures that the government makes to fight Unnaturals. They’re called Unanimals. This is a Celerus, and it has electricity flowing through it. One full on bite could shock you with as much power as lightning.” She stared at it nervously. 

I didn’t look away as I walked back. I ran into the wall and something popped out behind me. I screamed and fell to the ground. The Celerus turned its head and roared. I looked up to see what pushed me down. A wall of weapons was embedded in the doorway. I saw the button that I must’ve accidentally pressed. I grabbed a sharp sword off the wall just in time. The eel opened its mouth and I swung the sword at its tooth. I felt a horrible shock go through my body and I collapsed screaming. I don’t remember what happened next, but Clarity said she had grabbed a dagger off of the wall and went for the neck. She had carried me back to my room and locked the Celerus in the room. 

I woke up a few hours later with Clarity next to my bed.

“Clar?” I groaned as I sat myself up. My sword arm was very pink and inflamed, but it didn’t hurt as much. 

“Finally, you’re awake! I was so worried! Here, let me wrap that up.” She grabbed bandages from the first aid kit next to her and wrapped it up. “I’ll be right back, V. I need to check on the… eel situation.” 


	6. Green

Clarity-10

  
  


There was a strange yellow liquid on the ground where the Celerus used to be. It was seeping through small drains in the floor that I hadn’t noticed when the lights were off. I’ve heard about these Unanimals in books, and they were said to be creatures that protect the innocent. This wasn’t right. Why would they need to be kept in cages if they were good?

I went back to Via’s room. She had laid down again and was staring at the blank ceiling. Even when she’s half asleep and injured, she still looks good.

“I want a TV.” she mumbled. “Gimme.”

“I’m still not happy with you for lying about not being an Unnatural.”

“I saved you. Gimme.”

I chuckled and handed her my phone. “Play some games or something. I’m going to head to the city to see what’s happening.”

It’s hard to tell what time it is when you’re underground. I walked outside to find that it was starting to get dark. There was a light drizzle. Typical Michigan weather. I headed to the main center of the city to get some food. There’s a few good restaurants around here. My favorite, Arna, is a sushi place almost directly in the middle of Detroit. It’s in a dangerous neighborhood, though, so I’m always careful going there. I clenched my hand around the dagger concealed in my pocket. I’m beginning to like that weapon wall. I was halfway there when rain started pouring down. I ran into a nearby alleyway to get some cover.

I know, it was a stupid idea, but I hate water. I’ve just never liked it. Ever. Getting wet is a horrible feeling. I grabbed the lid of a trash can to shield myself. Ew. I sat next to the garbage in the dark alley. This is not my highest point. I reached into my pocket to feel for my phone, but I remember I gave it to Via. Of course it was horrible timing. I decided to get up to leave. I could deal with a little rain. While I was turning the corner to leave, I ran into a tall muscular figure. I stumbled backwards and fell. I looked up to see a man in a purple suit towering over me. 

“Oops, sorry about that. Let me help you.” He reached down without looking and his hand hit me in the face. I stood up on my own and noticed the stick he was holding. It’s one of those canes for blind people. I looked up at his face. He had handsome dark skin and blind white eyes. I felt myself blushing.

“Hello, I’m Samuel. It’s nice to meet you.”

I talked with Samuel Green for a while. He’s the son of a player on the Detroit Pistons, but is always treated like a little kid because of his disability. He’s 16. One year older than me and Via. He says he was born blind and has learned to deal with it. He can do anything an average person can do. I really like this guy. 

“So, do you live around here?” he asked.

“Uh, kinda. I live with my best friend.”

“I’d love to meet them sometime,” Samuel said as he ran his hand through his brown dreadlocks, “maybe we could go get some food for your friend?”

“Im really not supposed to be in the city.” Samuel is great and all, but his opinion on me might change if he knew I was an Unnatural.

Samuel smiled. “You’re hiding something, Miss Clarity. I can hear hesitation in your voice.”

I stiffened and sighed. “Do you promise not to tell anyone?” I knew it was a bad idea to tell him, but I felt I could really trust this guy. 

“Of course.”

“I’m an Unnatural.” I sighed and turned away.

Samuel laughed and I turned to look at him. He lifted up his hand and a clear liquidy orb hovered over it. I poked the sphere and water exploded down his hand. 

“Woah. You can control liquids?” I gasped and stared while he lured the water off of his hand and into the street. 

“Nice guess. This is why I love the rain so much; I feel stronger and not helpless. I’m a fan of the cold, too.” He let some of the rainwater pool into his hand then flexed his arm. The water turned into a sharp icicle.

This guy was strong. He’s clearly been using his powers for a long time. Suddenly, an idea popped into my head. I grabbed Samuel’s hand and led him in the direction of the woods.

“There’s someone you should meet, Sam.”

I walked into the cave with Samuel in tow. He had trouble getting through the forest since there were so many twists and turns. He was a bit scratched up. 

“Via! You awake?” I turned to Sam. “Stay here, I’ll go get her.” I walked away to Via’s room. She was asleep on the stone floor. Normal. I went back over to Sam and sighed. “She’s sleeping. We can wait for her.” 

Samuel smiled. He was sitting on the old couch. “You guys should get some new furniture. There was so much dust on this thing that I could hardly breathe when I sat down.” He laughed and patted the seat next to him. I quietly sat down. 

“So, tell me about your friend.” 

I thought for a moment. “She’s cool.”

Sam frowned. “That’s it? Come on, give me more than that.”

“What else? She wears an eyepatch and she’s also an Unnatural. Is that enough?”

“No, what’s she like? Dig deeper.”

I sighed. “She can be… difficult. Very stubborn, and not the smartest. She’s a slacker. We don’t always get along. But still, she’s very strong and independent...and a huge dork too! Via is my….” I trailed off when I heard footsteps coming down the hall.

“Hey, Clar, what’d I miss—“ Via saw Sam and backed away. “Clarity! Get away from that guy!” She ran off to the creepy lab room and came back with a huge gray battle axe in hand. Via charged at Samuel. 

“Sylvia! Stop!” I shouted. She paid no attention to me as she swung at the air in front of Sam. He stood up and backed into the corner. I watched as he took a short metal rod out of his pocket. Samuel gripped hard on the handle and ice encased the rod in a sword shape with dull sides and a sharp point. Via took another swing, and Sam barely intercepted it with the side of the ice rod. I bet he’s practiced fighting while blind. Sam seems to sense her movements. He used the end of the rod to knock the axe out of Via’s hand. It clattered to the ground.

The ice melted off of the rod into a puddle on the ground. “I’m Samuel. Nice to meet you, Sylvia,” he said with a smile on his face.

Via turned to me. “Get him out.”


	7. Hurt

Via-7

  
  


Clarity can’t just bring a random person into our hideout, especially a boy! I saw how she looked at him. She’s so impressed and amazed by his great powers and good looks. I’m jealous of him. Clar has found herself a new Unnatural friend. I’m just the girl with the gross hair, ugly eyepatch, and scab across her eye. 

I glared at Samuel, but he didn’t seem to notice. “Why are you here?!” I shouted at him.

He replied without looking at me, “Your friend invited me.”

I snapped. “Look at me while you’re talking!-“ It hit me too late that he was blind. I backed away. “Oh.” 

Clarity shot me a look. “Excuse me, Sam, but me and Sylvia need to have a conversation.”

Sylvia? Seriously? I needed to put this girl in her place. She may be a ‘little miss perfect’, but I’m not. I stormed off to my room with Clar following behind me. 

I entered the room and stared at her in the doorway.

“Via, please…” she whispered. I slammed the door in her pretty little face. Clar has a new friend anyways. I slumped down against the door and started crying.

I don’t cry often. I just hold all of the pain inside, which I know is a horrible idea, but I don’t want to show weakness. I’m so stressed out. I’m only 15 and I’m living all alone. I’m an orphan. I can’t even drive yet, and I’m already an outcast in society. I’m not sure if I’ll ever fit in. Miss Clarity Levett over here is perfect. She has pretty blue eyes, blonde hair, and the cutest little smile. She’s amazing. I’m lanky and clumsy. I could never compete with her, but I’m always trying to be better. I have to win. I’m too stubborn to lose.

I stood up and went over to the punching bag in the corner. I should really be practicing. I concentrated my energy to my hand. I looked up to the punching bag and aimed. A ray of shadows shot out from my arm, like a ray of light, but dark and evil. I stumbled backwards and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. My left eye, the good one, was illuminated by a red streak. 

I balanced myself and went to look again. They looked brown like usual, but I could see a slight tinge of red. It wasn’t anything someone else would notice. It stood right out to me. Red eye, eyepatch, and shadow control. Heh, guess I’m a stereotypical villain now. That’s not what I want, though. I think I want to help other people like me. I need to talk to Samuel.

I walked out into the hallway to see Clar and Samuel deep in conversation on the couch. Clarity was staring him right in the eyes. She’s for sure got a crush. She was so obsessed with him, hanging on his every word. I bet Sam didn’t even notice. I turned back and went to my room. 

I sat down on the couch and slouched down. There’s nothing to do here. I looked at my electric guitar in the corner and sighed. Too bad I didn’t bring my amplifier here. It’s probably all burnt up now. That’s in the past now.

I looked across the room at the mirror. I’m wearing my usual outfit that consists of black Converse Clarity got for me, black ripped jeans, a dark gray hoodie, and a black leather jacket. I look like a pirate, though, with my eyepatch. I walked up to the mirror and took the eyepatch off. My eye was just pure white. Gross. I put the patch back on and grabbed the guitar. I strummed a few quiet chords. 

Music has always been my favorite thing. Loud rock comforts me. It helps keep me awake, too. Me and Clar always dreamed of making a band, but there’s only two of us. I laughed out loud. Guess her new boyfriend Sam can join now. I bet he listens to something stupid like jazz. I started to feel a spell of sleepiness, and I conked out on the floor.

I woke up to see Clarity sitting on my couch. She stared at me laying there with eyes that were lost in thought. I slowly pulled myself upright.

“Oh, you’re awake!” Clar slid off the couch and sat down on the floor next to me. “I was worried.”

I glanced around. “Where’s your boyfriend?”

Clarity blushed. “He isn’t my boyfriend, Via. Just a good friend. He… I gave him a room. Sam texted his dad saying he’ll be gone for a while. I think he’s staying with us,” she said quietly.

“You didn’t even think to ask me if this was ok?!” I shouted, “This is my home too! You’re a jerk, you know.” 

I don’t know why I did what I did. I stomped the ground like a 5-year old and shadows rippled across the floor. They grew out from under Clarity and threw her into the air. She fell onto her back with a loud thump. Clarity looked up at me with tears in her eyes. I reached my hand out to help her up.

“Clarity, I’m so sorry-“ 

“Sam wouldn’t have hurt me. I can actually trust him. The girls at school were right; you… you are a freak.” I could see regret in her eyes as she helped herself up and started to storm out of the room. I grabbed her hand before she could go.

“Clar, please…” I looked at her and sunk to my knees, “I can’t lose anymore family. I’m just… jealous.” I said quietly. Tears blurred my vision.

Clarity’s expression softened and she sat down next to me. “Jealous? Never heard that come out of your mouth.” She chuckled lightly and looked over at me with her amazing blue eyes.

“I’m sorry. I can’t control myself. I’m still getting used to all this,” I smirked. Clarity smiled and leaned in to give me a hug. I accepted the embrace. Tears ran down my face and I wiped them away. I was starting to feel better until Samuel walked in.

“Uh, I’ll just leave you guys be…” he said awkwardly and went back to the living room. Me and Clarity laughed. I pulled away from her.

“Via, I’m really sorry. I was being a jerk to you. I shouldn’t have just invited Sam here. He’s really nice though, and I want you two to be friends.” she said in a soft tone like she was comforting a hurt puppy.

I was quiet for a moment. Did I really want to be friends with a total stranger who is stealing my friend away from me? Not really, but I had to do this for Clarity. “I’ll be nice to him. It’s a truce.”

  
  
  


Samuel-7 

  
  


Just because I can’t see doesn’t mean I’m weak. I was always teased as a child and was closely guarded. Having a famous dad didn’t help. I spent my childhood with bodyguards and sports stars. It’s not the worst life, but not the life I want. I want to do something that will impact the world.

While Clarity and Sylvia were talking, I snuck out to go to the superstore. I’d like to help them decorate their little bunker, but I don’t really know how. Being blind is tough sometimes. 

When I arrived at the local store, I asked a worker for help. She picked out a calendar, a bean bag, and a fake plant. I thought this was good enough. I headed over to the present section. I’m not sure what Clarity would like, so I just grabbed something that was soft to the touch. It felt like a stuffed teddy bear. I think she would enjoy it. I paid for my stuff and got out of there.

Getting back to the bunker was a struggle. When I left the woods, I just followed the noise of the city. There wasn’t a clear path for me to follow to the boulder, and of course it was in the most lush part of the woods. I stumbled and tripped over roots and rocks. This really wasn’t easy for me. 

I heard a noise and turned around. Silence. I kept walking and heard the noise again. It sounded like a low rumbling. Something was up here. With shaky hands, I grabbed a water bottle from my backpack and poured it on the ground around me. I let it seep into the dirt. I took a deep breath and touched my hand to the ground. The water coursed through the earth. I felt pressure against the ground behind me. I stood up and took my metal rod out of my pocket. Ice curled around the steel to make a sword. I swung at thin air and cut into something solid. 

A screech pierced through the air. I felt the ground to see where this creature went, but I didn’t feel anything. It just disappeared. Something was off. I stood up slowly and raised my sword. Suddenly, I felt a weight at my right side and swung. I heard another screech and roar. Whatever I was fighting leaped onto me and pinned me down.

The beast seemed to be around the size of a small car. I raised my hands up to try to bat it away, but my hand just phased through its airy body. I shouted out as long claws dug into each of my shoulders. My sword was knocked out of my hand when something like a furry head rammed into my fist.

Even though this animal was mostly gas, it was heavy. Its paws pressed my arms down so I couldn’t move. I tried kicking it off of me, but my legs just went through thin air. My canteen of water has spilled onto the ground. My sword was too far to reach. I was stuck here. I kept struggling as the beast dug harder into my shoulders and roared. My face was flecked with spit. This wasn’t a heroic way to go out. I kicked again and hit solid flesh, but the creature just went right back to clawing at me. How do I fight an enemy I can’t see or feel? I need help.

Right on cue, a figure jumped down from a low tree branch and onto my attacker’s back. I heard the slicing and swinging of a weapon and the monster howling. I quickly scrambled away. I put my hand to the ground to feel for what was happening. The beast leaped at the person, and swung their weapon. I heard a sickening rip and something heavy hit the ground.

“Samuel? Are you good?” I recognized Sylvia’s voice.

“Thank you, Syl-“

“Via. Just Via. Come on, get up,” she lowered her hand and lifted me up.

“What were you doing in the woods anyways, Via?” I asked in a trembling voice. I was losing blood. 

Via laughed. “Uh, just walking. You need some medical help, dude. Let’s get Clarity.” 


	8. Secrets

Via-8

Clarity basically had a heart attack when she saw Samuel’s condition. He didn’t look very good. I had to carry him back here, and believe me, it’s hard holding up a 6’3 guy. He was pale and very weak. Doctor Clarity immediately got to work on those big shoulder wounds.

I looked at the small yellow tag in my hands. I ripped it off of the ghost tiger’s ear. That thing was really creepy. It was bright yellow with gray stripes, and half of its body was opaque. It had very sharp claws. I have a few cuts on my arms and face, but none as bad as Samuel’s. I read the small letters on the tag: Expergir, experiment 09, invisibility. I’m guessing it’s name is Expergir. It sounds similar to that Celerus me and Clar fought. Something was connecting these two. I shoved the tag into my pocket and opened the door to exit the bunker.

Sam left something out here. I saw a large bag left at the scene of the battle. My curiosity bested me and I opened the bag. Bean bag, calendar, plant, and something else. I cracked up laughing as I pulled out a blue teddy bear. The words ‘it’s a boy’ were stitched across its chest. I’m guessing Samuel couldn’t read it. I don’t really like the guy, but I have to admit, he’s nice. He treats Clar well. I picked the bag up with a sigh and trudged back to the bunker.

I walked into the cave and dumped the bag onto the floor. I collapsed onto the couch. My wounds had stopped bleeding, but my pants were a bit covered with red stains. Gross. I was just about to stand up to go wash it off when Clarity walked in. 

“Via! What happened? Sam wasn’t in any state to have a conversation, but he’s doing better now. I healed his wounds to scabs and bandaged them up, but I’m not sure if I can do it for you too…” Clarity talked rapidly and I started to cancel out her voice. I just stared up into her cyan eyes. She stopped talking.

“Via, are you even paying attention to anything I’m saying?” she asked sternly.

I chuckled. “Nope,” I mumbled, “I’m just relaxing.” 

Clarity tried to resist smiling. “Just lay here and I’ll patch you up.”

I stared up at Clar while she was wrapping my scratches. She had a little beauty dot on her left cheek that my eyes locked onto. She was really pretty. Clar looked over to see me staring, and I quickly glanced away. She smiled. The moment was ruined when Samuel walked in.

“Hey, ladies? There’s something I’d like to propose to both of you,” he said with a straight face. Sam’s shoulders were wrapped in bandages, but he didn’t seem to be in much pain. Clarity’s gotten better with her powers. 

I sat up and yawned. “What’s up, water boy?” 

Clarity elbowed me. “Via, no. What would you like to talk about, Sam?” she said in a nice voice.

Samuel smiled and sat down next to me. “I had an idea. Since both of you are runaways, why don’t you make, like, a club? We could have a group of unnaturals to all protect each other. This bunker does have a lot of rooms.”

I thought for a moment. “How did you even get this idea?”

Samuel took a small leather book out from his coat pocket. “I found this in the weapon room. It talks about a group of people with powers that fought against monsters. For example, they had captured an eel-like creature called the Celerus. It was able to electrocute people. A man named Howard had a nasty shock from one. It’s in a journal format, but I thought it wasn’t real until me and Via saw that tiger. It ends abruptly, though. Just left with blank pages near the end. There’s some paw prints too. It’s weird. Here, take a look.” He handed me the journal.

The words “Unnatural Records” were stamped across the front page. I looked for an author name. Natalie Gryphon. I dropped the book.

“Via, are you okay?” Clarity asked softly, “You look really pale. Well, paler than usual.” She picked up the book and saw the name. “Oh. Then, does that mean-“

“My mom was an unnatural. She lived here with a group of people. The axe…” I looked at the corner to see the silver weapon against the wall. I walked over and lifted it up. I saw my face reflected in the blade. I have a purpose. I need to finish what my mom started. I’m not sure what she exactly did, but I’ll fight for her honor. I looked up at Clar and Samuel who were waiting for me to speak. I set the axe down and adjusted my eyepatch. 

“Let’s do it. Let’s get to work.”

  
  


This was harder than I thought. Me and Clar already live here in this bunker, but Samuel still has a life at home. If he wants to be in this group, though, he has to deal with danger. He can’t set his family at risk. 

“I was supposed to go to boarding school,” Samuel said, “but I got caught up and didn’t end up going in September. School starts in a few days, I believe. It’s a good excuse to be away from home.”

Perfect. One issue solved. I straightened up and spoke in a stern voice. “Good. Issue two: we have three people. I don’t think that’s really enough. We hardly even know what we’re doing. There are 6 rooms in this bunker. Why not fill them all? We’ll go out tomorrow and find more people. I have no idea how, so that’s where Clarity comes in. Do some smart sciencey thing to find more unnaturals. There’s basically a whole laboratory here. And now, it’s time for my nap.” I fell over onto the couch and quickly drifted into sleep.

  
  
  


Clarity-8

I’m stuck with the technology stuff. While Via sleeps, me and Sam are working in the lab. I have no idea how I’m supposed to make an unnatural tracker. I barely even know how to read. Sam noticed my frustration and put his hand on my shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Clarity, we can do this together,” he said in a soft voice. “Maybe unnaturals have something in their blood that’s special? You could run a blood test on me if you know how.”

Of course I knew how to take blood. My parents always wanted me to learn and forced me to carry a medical kit around for emergencies. This laboratory probably still had some good equipment. “Thanks, Samuel. I’ll get everything ready. I think this may work.”

Six missed veins later, I got a good blood sample. Sam didn’t even wince. He was really tough, and I admired that.

I stared at the blood that I had put under the microscope. Instead of normal reddish cells, these were yellow and glowing slightly. Mutated cells. I wonder if I could make some sort of compass that senses this.

Sam sat in a chair in the corner of the room. I felt bad that he had to just sit here since he had nothing else to do. Via didn’t give him a job to do. Maybe that was a good thing. She doesn’t expect much from him, but she thinks I can do anything. It’s not easy with her always giving me the hard tasks to do. I need a break sometimes too. Here I am, working on her little project while she sleeps.

“Clarity, are you okay?” Sam’s voice jolted me away from my thoughts. “You’ve been really quiet. Maybe we could take a walk?” He stood from his chair and walked over to me.

I smiled. He’s so thoughtful. “I’d like that.”

Me and Samuel walked along the roads of Detroit. The city looked beautiful with all of the lights illuminating the streets. The cheers from the nearby hockey stadium echoed around us. 

Sam towered over me as he strolled along. I stared up at him as we chatted about life. He talked about his family and how his dad wasn’t around much. His parents were divorced and he didn’t see his mom much. I felt bad for Sam, but then again, my family was scared of me. Scared. I kept quiet the rest of the way until we stopped.

I stared into the window of a gas station to see the calendar hanging on the opposite wall. It was October 22nd. Uh oh.

Sam must’ve noticed I was being very quiet. “What’s up, Clar?”

“It’s Via’s birthday tomorrow, and I completely forgot!” I slapped my face with the palm of my hand. “Stupid me. I need to get her a present! Let’s go!” I grabbed Samuel’s hand and ran into the gas station.

Gas stations don’t have good gifts, but they have what Via likes: candy and soda. I wish I could’ve gotten her a real gift. I was running out of money and didn’t want to rely on Sam, so I used the last of my cash for her. Via’s been through a lot lately. She deserves something nice.

I grabbed a 6-pack of Cherry Cola and various sour candies and headed up to the counter. Samuel followed behind me quietly. I threw $5 on the counter and grabbed the snacks. It was getting very dark out, and I didn’t want to get lost, so me and Sam basically ran home. We stopped in front of the cave entrance.

I sighed and slid to a seated position. “Sam, I’m sorry. We were supposed to be relaxing. I just get caught up in random thoughts. Via probably isn’t doing too great right now. She’s been so mean to you, but I doubt she really means it.”

Samuel sat down next to me and put his arm around me. I blushed. “She’s just unhappy right now. Via’s jealous that I’m here.”

Jealous? That’s not right. Via doesn’t have much emotion. I looked up at him. “How is she jealous? What’s she jealous of?”

Sam opened his mouth to talk, but then closed it again. “I’ll tell you later. I’m getting cold. Let’s go inside.” He took my hand and lifted me up. We walked back into the bunker hand in hand.

  
  



	9. Birthday

Via-9

  
  


Clar says I was sleeping by 6 pm last night, and I woke up at 3 am today. Even though I got a good amount of sleep, I’m exhausted. I mostly always am. 

My morning routine is fun. I wake up, sit on the couch and listen to music on my iPod, then go for as many punches on the punching bag as I can. Today I beat my record and landed 287. Next on the list is checking on Clarity. I slowly opened her door and checked if she was in bed. I’m not a stalker, I just want to make sure she didn’t get kidnapped or anything. She wasn’t there. I panicked.

Clarity usually doesn’t wake up early. She sleeps in and goes to bed late. There’s no reason why she shouldn’t be in bed. 

I ran out into the hallway and shouted for her. A door farther down the left side of the hallway slammed open. Sam walked out in his pajamas. I forgot he was here.

“What? What happened to Clarity!? What did you do, Via!” He ran over to me, put his hands on my shoulders, and shook me around.

“Ok, first of all, no touching.” I slapped his hand off of me and he recoiled. “Second, why would I do anything? I’m not some random stranger Clar invited here, unlike you. She wasn’t in bed. Where is she?” My voice slowly got louder. Samuel really gets on my nerves. If he and Clarity are so close, why wasn’t he watching her?

A figure appeared in the hallway and me and Samuel both turned to look. Clarity stood there in her pajamas looking like she just woke up.

“Hello? Why are you yelling, Via?” she said quietly. 

I ran up to her. “Clar! Where were you? I was worried?” Without thinking, I gave her a hug. I quickly recoiled afterward and laughed awkwardly.

Clarity smiled. “I was just working on this,” she said as she held out a small silver object. I picked up the circular disk and turned it around. It’s some sort of compass. “It’s the Unnatural detector you wanted. I’ve been up all night working.”

I smiled at her. “You’re the best. Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s test this thing out!”

I underestimated Clarity. I thought she just made a simple compass. Turns out she also made a map of the whole United States and their energy signatures. This girl must’ve worked very hard on this, and I appreciated it.

The first person we tracked lived in an apartment in Detroit. We knocked on the door to find a balding middle aged man. We left.

Next person was in a cute house outside of the city. An elderly woman greeted us at the door. A young child was behind her. We talked to them for a little bit before realizing that they were just a happy little family. We didn’t want to endanger them.

Clarity and Sam walked alongside each other while we were on our way to the third house. It was near the previous house, just a few blocks away. I stared down at the tracking device in my hand. This energy signature was much larger than the others. Instead of blinking yellow like the rest, this one had a pink tint to it. It felt important, so I insisted we follow it. 

We came to a stop at a small white house with Halloween decorations set up. It’s October already? It still feels like September.

Clarity must’ve realized too. “Via! It’s October!”

I stared at her blankly. “Yeah?”

She checked her phone for a calendar. “The 23rd! Your birthday is today!” Clar grinned and hugged me, which made my face turn red, “Happy birthday, bestie!”

I laughed and pushed her away. “Never say bestie again.”

Clarity chuckled too. “I got you a present, but it’s back at the bunker. I had such a late night yesterday that I totally forgot today. I’m so sorry.”

“Well, I forgot too. Thank you, Clar.” I smiled at her.

Samuel, who was standing there awkwardly, tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to the house. A woman with brown hair was staring at us from the doorway. I took initiative and walked up to her.

“Hi, could I talk with you for a minute?” I said in the kindest voice I could muster up. The lady sighed.

“Theodore, get over here. It’s your turn to talk to weirdos.” She shouted and turned and walked away, leaving a kid in her place. He looked to be around 13 or 14, and he had dark blue hair with brown roots. What was special about him, though, was his eyes. They were bright pink. That’s a good sign of an Unnatural.

He stared up at me from oval shaped glasses. “H-hello?” he said timidly.

Clarity walked past me and over to him. “Hey, Theodore, was it? Could we talk to you for a moment?”

The kid nodded and waved his hand over to a bench on their front porch. Clarity and Samuel sat side by side on the bench while Theodore sat on a chair. I sat on the floor. We introduced ourselves while the short boy sat there quietly.

“My name’s Theo Reid, and I’m 14,” he mumbled.

Clarity smiled at him. “It’s nice to meet you. We have a few questions. First, do you have any disabilities or illnesses? Disorders? Don’t worry, you can trust us.”

Theo seemed more at ease now. Clarity has a calming effect on people. 

“I have epilepsy a-and anxiety,” he said, “and sometimes weird things happen around me. A vase almost fell on me today, but it seemed to avoid me somehow.”

I looked over at Clarity and nodded. He has two disorders. It must be why his little glowing light was so strong. He’s powerful, but doesn’t know it. Theo would be a great addition to our team if he would choose to join.

“Have you ever heard of an Unnatural?” I asked him. Theo looked a bit scared and flinched. I guess the piercings and eyepatch intimidated him.

“Uh, yes m-ma’am!” he blurted quickly. I laughed.

“Hah, ma’am. I like it.”

Clarity shot me a look and smiled over at Theodore. “What do you think about Unnaturals?”

Theo looked down at the floor. “I think they’re actually cool. They seem so strong and brave. I don’t understand why they are illegal.”

I smiled. “Sam, do the thing.”

Samuel pointed his hand like a squirt gun and sprayed water right in my face.

“Not at me, dummy! In the air.”

Sam chuckled awkwardly. “Oops.” He formed an icicle in his hand and spun it around his fingers.

The blue haired kid was amazed. His magenta eyes were wide and shocked. “Wow! That is awesome! How does it even work?” Instead of being the quiet boy I thought he was, he was passionate and pestering Samuel with questions.

“We think you might be an Unnatural, too, Theo,” Clarity interrupted, “but there isn’t a good way to test what powers you have or anything. I thought you might just be a minor unnatural, but you seem to be strong.”

Theo sat there wonderstruck. Clarity continued on.

“We were wondering if you wanted to join our group. You seem to have a good life here, though—“

“No, no!” Theo shouted, “I’d love to join you!” He quieted down again. “These people are just fostering me. They aren’t great. I want to be friends with cool people like you!” He blushed. “I mean, if y-you would let me…”

Me and Clarity looked at each other and nodded. 

I turned towards Theo. “Go pack your things, kid. You’re in for an adventure.”


	10. Toad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: blood, fighting

Clarity-10

  
  


Theo was a good new addition to our group. He was very shy, but I feel like we can get him warmed up pretty soon. He seems very happy to be away from his house. The first thing we did when we got back to the bunker with him was decide on a team name. None of them were good except for Via’s, and that was only decent. We ended up being the Unnaturals. Creative, I know. It’s a pretty cool name though. 

Me and Theo headed to the hardware store together and got some paint. Theo chose the room next to Samuel’s on the right side of the hall. We painted his door bright pink and Sam’s was purple. I thought it looked nice. Via didn’t like all of the bright colors, though. I told her to deal with it.

We’ve been testing for Theodore’s powers. Definitely not fire, which he had a big fear of. Not ice like Samuel, as he can’t stand the cold. Not invisibility. He is not good at hiding at all. We weren’t really getting anywhere.

Everyone sat in the living room. Samuel and Theo were sitting on the couch while I was sitting at the chair by the computers. Via was laying on the floor and bouncing a shadowy ball against the ceiling.

Via’s gotten better with her powers, but it worries me. This dark magic probably isn’t good for her. I’m not sure if it’s my healing powers, but she feels so much unhappier lately, like her whole aura is decaying. I believe she can get through it though. She does have to practice her powers, anyways.

Via broke the silence. “Hey, Theo, think fast.” She quickly whipped around and gently threw the dark ball at him. Theo shouted as the ball was going towards him. But it didn’t connect. The ball flew through thin air and disappeared.

Me and Via immediately stood up with shocked expressions. Samuel sat there confused. We heard a shout from down the hallway, and Theo walked into the living room.

“I just teleported.” He said out of breath.

“You just teleported.” I shouted with glee.

“What?” Samuel asked. Me and Via burst out laughing while Theo stood with a shocked expression. 

“Woah, I guess I am unnatural.”

We spent the rest of the day testing Theo’s powers. If he held onto someone, he could teleport with them. He could only take 2 people, though. I was very excited about being able to travel with him to find more unnaturals. Samuel was happy about not having to always walk through the woods to get to town. Via was just generally proud of having a strong team member.

Theo quickly got tired after us basically experimenting with him. He almost immediately fell asleep when he went to bed. Me, Samuel, and Via were all left sitting on the couch together. I could feel how tense Via was, and Sam just looked plain awkward. I decided to address the issue.

I stood up to face both of them. “We need to talk about,” I waved my hand between them, “whatever this is. Why don’t you guys like each other?”

Via and Sam were silent. I felt like there was something I was missing. 

“Guys, really. If we’re going to be a team, we all have to get along. We have to face our problems together.”

“Yeah, but it’s not YOUR problem,” Via growled. 

“If it’s involving members of my team, it is my problem,” I snapped.

Via stood up and stomped towards me. “This isn’t just your team, Clarity. If I don’t like Sam, then fine. You just have to ignore it. You don’t have to do everything for me, you know.” 

There was a horrible anger in her eye. It seemed to be slightly more tinted red than when I last saw it. Via used to have amazing brown eyes, but now her only functioning eye is becoming more maroon. There’s something unnerving about it. It feels so angry. 

I felt tears coming to my own eyes. “I… I just wanted to help…” I muttered. Samuel reached his hand out to me, but I turned and fled back to my room. I need a break from Via. I can’t be around her right now. I’m not strong enough.

  
  


I woke up upside down on my bed. I’m a pretty restless sleeper. I slid off the bed and opened the door to the hallway. A note stuck to the door fluttered to the ground.

Clarity-

Went out with Theo to get groceries. Last I saw, or heard, Via was in her room. Hope you’re doing okay! We’ll be home ASAP.

Love, Sam

(P.S. Theo wrote this for me since I’m not exactly the best writer.)

I smiled and tucked the note into my pocket. He’s thoughtful. I noticed the bunker was unusually silent. There’s usually at least some sound, such as Via with her punching bag or me listening to music. I slowly cracked open the door to Via’s room. 

“Via, you there?” I asked. No response. I sighed. She’s probably off in the woods or in the city somewhere. I might as well look for her.

I exited the bunker with the unnatural tracker in hand. There was a light blue light, purple light, pink light, and red light all blinking. I’m guessing that I’m blue, Sam is purple, Theo is pink, and therefore Via is red. It looks like she’s over by the small pond near the edge of the woods. It’s a long walk, but I can make it. I can have some time to think.

Why are Samuel and Via so secretive? Via’s really not been herself lately. At least Theo’s keeping us balanced. No one wants to fight in front of him. The blue haired guy was starting to grow on me. I really feel like he’s one of our core team members. He’s meant to be with us. Theo may not be very powerful yet, but with the right training he will be. He has passion even if he doesn’t show it.

My thoughts were interrupted by a distant roar and a shout. It sounded distinctly like a lion. There aren’t lions in forests in Michigan. Clearly. I bet it’s an Unanimal. I decided to risk it and run towards the sound. For science!

I ran into a swampy area where I saw a person fighting some… thing. I stared at the beast for a moment and burst out laughing

This Unanimal looked like a toad with a mane. That’s it. It’s literally a massive toad with a lion’s mane and tail. Something about it was just so off. My laughing was cut off when it opened its mouth. It was filled with rows of dagger-like teeth.

I looked over to the person fighting it. They were using a gray axe and taking swipes at it, though the slices didn’t seem to cut through its tough skin. I watched as the frog hit the figure and flung them into a tree.

She looked over at me. “Clarity! Get out of here!” Via? 

I watched as she jumped from the tree and onto the lion toad. Via slashed her axe right across the animal’s tail. It hit the ground with a thud. I plugged my ears as the toad screeched. It sounded demonic. I watched as Via dropped her axe while trying to cover her ears. It fell to the muddy soil, but not before chopping off a few of the toad’s toes.

Via stood there weaponless on top of the beast. It bucked around while Via clung to its mane. 

“Toss me my axe!” she shouted at me. I obeyed and ran to grab her weapon. I gently threw it in the air to her. 

What happened next was not very good. The axe narrowly missed her hand and instead cut a deep gash into her arm. Via shouted in pain and fell off of the toad. She laid on the ground motionless.

Everything that happened next was like a blur. I recounted that I grabbed the bloody axe from the ground and chucked it into the Unanimal’s mouth while it roared. There was a horrible ripping sound and more screeching. I looked away as I heard blood gurgling in its throat. Gross.

I heard the distinguishable splat of the monster disappearing and leaving liquid behind. This time it was bright purple. I reached into the gunk and grabbed a small tag from the puddle. I’ll just read it later. Via needs help right now.

I ran over to Via’s motionless body. Blood was dripping out of the open wound on her arm. I took a deep breath as I grabbed her arm. Warmth flowed through my body and to her arm. The large cut was sealing, but it wouldn’t scab over. I don’t think I’m strong enough to heal it fully. I need to get her back to the bunker. 

I picked up Via and slung her over my shoulder. She wasn’t too heavy, but her axe definitely was. I decided I’d just have to leave it and come back for it later. I set the axe down against a tree and staggered back to the bunker.

  
  


Via woke up a few hours later. I jumped up from the foot of the bed.

“You’re awake!” I exclaimed, “Please, V, don’t go running off like that again. It really scared me.” 

She groaned and sat up. “My arm is killing me. Was I fighting a frog?”

“A toad-lion, actually.” I took the tag out of my pocket. “It says it’s a ‘Untleo’. Experiment number 41, supersonic screech.”

“That makes sense. I remember a scream and then falling off of its back. I really got beat up by that thing, didn’t I?”

I solemnly nodded. “I noticed you didn’t use your powers.”

Via sighed and sat straighter. “I’ve seen how you look at me when I use them, like I’m a monster. I don’t want to scare you.” She stared down at her hands as she talked. She must’ve really been thinking about this.

I grabbed her hand. “I’m so sorry. You can do what you need to defend yourself. Please don’t let me be the cause of your pain, Via. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

Via looked up and smiled at me. “Thanks.” I watched as she looked down at her injured arm. The bandages on it were bloody. “Sorry to ruin the moment, but could you change this? It’s kinda nasty.” 

I laughed. “Via, I want to talk,” I said as I changed her bandaging, “you probably noticed how close me and Sam are.”

“Yep,” she mumbled.

“He’s my boyfriend. I hope that’s okay with you.”

Via stiffened up. “Oh. Okay. That’s… that fine. Good for you.”

“Thank you, Via. You’re a great friend.”


	11. Early

Via-11

Three days later, I woke up, got dressed, and rushed into Theo’s room. Late last night I was looking at the Unnatural tracker when a bright green light started flashing. I wanted to find this person immediately since they had a colored light. The problem was, the Unnatural was all the way in Texas.

I carefully snuck into Theo’s room where he was sleeping on his bed. Even though all of the furniture in the bunker is old, it’s still very comfortable. Theo definitely seems to be sleeping well. I crept up to the side of the bed and stared at him. His blue rimmed glasses were on the bedside table, and his hair was a mess. This kid needs some style.

Most people would take it easy on the new guy. I disagree. I leaped up onto Theo’s bed and started jumping up and down. 

“Wake up! It’s basically the afternoon already!” I shouted as I hopped around. Theo was wildly flailing around. He screamed as he rolled off of the bed and hit the floor with a thump. I peeked down to see him groaning and slowly sitting up.

“Good morning,” he grumbled. Theo seemed too intimidated by me to complain about being woken up. I guess the eyepatch can do that. 

“Ready to teleport? You need some practice! Let’s go-”

“Via? It’s three in the morning!” Clarity walked into the room. She was wearing plaid pajama pants and a white tank top. Her messy and wavy hair fell down to her shoulders. I felt my face getting hot and looked away.

“What do you mean? I feel like everyones been sleeping forever!” I exclaimed. 

Clarity sighed and took her phone out of her pocket. She shoved it in my face. The time read three. “You really need a watch.”

I stuck my tongue out at her as she scowled at me. “Tell your boyfriend to go get me one. He has lots of money to blow.” 

Theo looked up from the floor. “Clarity, can I go back to sleep then?”, he said quietly. 

Clar responded while walking into the hallway. “Yes. Via, go back to your room.”

I’m not sure why Clarity feels the need to act so motherly towards me. I know I’m not very responsible, but I’m not a child, either. I looked into the mirror in my room. I feel like I’ve grown so much lately. My jet black hair fell down almost to my waist, and my arms have gotten more shaped and muscular. I didn’t feel strong, though. A stupid frog almost killed me. I took off my eyepatch and stared back into the mirror. I had a tiny scar right through my milky white eye to my eyebrow. If I have to be honest, it scares me. I can hardly see anything on my right side and it makes me jumpy. I need to be able to defend myself better.

After turning on my radio to a classic rock station, I walked to the corner of my room and picked up the gray battle axe. I’ve found the weapon to be very unwieldy, but powerful. Just holding it made me feel more protected, but what’s the use of a strong weapon if you don’t know how to use it? I put my hand down onto the leathery grip on the hilt of the axe and studied the blade. At the top and bottom of the axe, large spikes stuck out. This was a weapon meant for all types of fighting. It was versatile, like me. I just wish I knew how to use it.

I raised my axe as I stood in front of my punching bag. I found it extremely hard to lift up the heavy weapon. It really felt like carrying a stick with a weight attached to the top of it. Suddenly I got an idea. Shadows usually make me stronger, like when I’m fighting in the dark and I can hit harder and move faster. What if I channeled that power into the weapon? Would it make it easier for me to control since I can control the dark? The note I found on the axe when I first got it had to mean something. Tenebrium, whatever that is, is powerful. I think I could make it stronger.

As I lifted my axe in front of me, I channeled all of my anger and pent up emotions. I know this isn’t a good way to use my powers, but it works well. I felt myself, my whole soul, grow colder. The dark energy drifted from my chest to my arm. I watched as the shadows wrapped around my right arm were absorbed by the battle axe. The blade of the axe immediately turned black with a red aura. Shocked, I switched the hand I was holding it in. My weapon felt lighter than it did before, and much more balanced.

I took my first swing at the punching bag. All I can say is wow. Unlike the barely sharpened blade the axe had before, this new dark blade cut through the bag like butter. Stuffing spilled over the floor from the gash I left in it. Grinning, I raised my arm to take another swing. Suddenly, someone creaked open the door from behind me. Without thinking I threw the axe and it landed in the wall inches away from her face. Uh oh.

  
  
  
  
  


Clarity-11

  
  


“Via, what the heck? You almost took my head off!” I yelled at Via, who stood awkwardly next to the punching bag. Her room was a mess.

“I thought you were a toad!” Via paused. Her face was bright red. She must’ve been working out for a while now. “Ok, that sounds weird, but still! I thought you were sleeping!”

Via looked so pathetic just standing there that I had to laugh. “Thanks, I guess my beauty is on the level of a toad’s,” I said jokingly.

Beads of sweat basically dripped down her face. “No! That wasn’t what I meant, I, uh-”

“I get it, you’re kind of traumatized. I was worried too. Here,” I grabbed Via’s hand and sat down on the bed. After yanking her hand away, she carefully slumped down next to me. 

“Yeah. I don’t like feeling weak. I’ve been thinking too much recently,” she said quietly as she fidgeted with the zipper on her leather jacket.

I frowned. Something’s going on with her. “About what?”

I noticed Via stiffen up. “Nothing. You wouldn’t understand. Let’s just go eat.” She stood up and walked towards the door.

I got up and grabbed her by the shoulder. “Come on, V, you can tell me! I’m your closest friend!”

Via flinched at my words. “Forget it. I’m tired. I just really want some food.”

“Its only 3am, remember? Just go back to sleep if you don’t want to talk,” I muttered as I walked out of the room, leaving Via alone in the dark room.

  
  


I woke up right at 8am, got dressed, and made breakfast for everyone. Sam got Cheerios, Theo got Froot Loops, and Via got Frosted Flakes, though I doubt she would actually eat them. I grabbed a fresh banana. Thanks to Samuel, we had a good stash of food. He often went to the grocery store and used one of his dad’s credit cards to pay. It isn’t really the right thing to do, but we need to survive. It’s better to steal than to starve.

My peace was disrupted by Samuel walking down the hall.

“Hey, Sam. I got your food right here.” I held out his bowl to him and he took it with a smile on his face.

“Thanks, Clarity. I didn’t sleep too well. I think Via was up all night practicing with that axe,” Sam said as he sat down at the table. Ugh. I should’ve known she wouldn’t go to sleep if I told her to.

“I’ll be right back. I’m gonna check on her,” I called out to Sam as I walked down the hallway to Via’s room. I slowly cracked open the door. Thankfully, my head wasn’t almost chopped off this time. Via was asleep on the middle of the floor with her battle axe next to her. I stared down at her for a moment. She looked peaceful just laying there. 

I have to admit, even though I may not love her style of dressing, Via is a very pretty person in a rugged way. I missed the old days when I would help her do her foundation and eyeliner. I doubt she would think that would be important now, though. V has never really cared about her looks, but I think she’s struggling with losing her vision in her right eye. I really want to be able to help her.

I knelt down next to Via and slowly slipped off her eyepatch. Her scab going from the top of her eye to her eyebrow was slowly peeling off. Gross. Suddenly, Via lashed her foot into the air. I gotta get away from her before she wakes up. I don’t want an awkward situation. Carefully, I stepped over her sleeping body and slipped out the door.

“She’s out cold,” I stated as I walked back over to the kitchen table where Sam was waiting, “and her axe was next to her. That’s nice, my best friend falling asleep with a deadly weapon.” I laughed at my own terrible joke, but immediately stopped when I noticed Samuel flinch. “What’s wrong? Am I not funny?”

He sighed. “No, it’s just… nevermind. Today’s just a bad day, I guess.”

Something’s not right here. “Did Via say anything to you? You guys are acting really suspicious. She was totally sweating and her face was bright red. She was clearly lying.”

Sam frowned. “Clarity, I don’t think you get it. You need to talk to Via yourself.”

“I’m confused. Why would I have to talk to her?” I questioned. 

Samuel stood up. “It’s obvious, Clar. She likes you.”

“Well, yeah, obviously.”

He looked shocked. “Really? I didn’t think you realiz-“

“She’s my best friend, of course she likes me!” Why would Samuel think I’m that dumb? Friends like each other, duh!

Sam sighed again. “Yeah. That’s it,” he mumbled as he set his bowl down. “I’m going to go wake Theo up. That kid could sleep forever if no one stopped him.”

“Alright,” I called after him as he walked down the hallway to Theo’s room. I slumped down into my chair. Why is everyone avoiding me today?

A few minutes later, Sam walked back into the living room with Theo stumbling behind him. They sat down on either side of me on the circular couch. We sat in silence. Awkward. Finally, Theo decided to break it.

“So, where’s Via?” he said quietly.

“Sleeping,” Samuel replied.

“Oh.”

What a nice conversation. The room went back to being silent.

“So, Theo, what are some activities you like to do?” I asked politely. We hardly knew anything about the blue haired teen, so I might as well learn more.

“Uh, I,” he stuttered, “I guess I like video games, though I haven’t played many.”

Success. I got him to open up, even if it was only slightly.

“That’s nice. Do you like music? Me and Via both do.”

Theo sat awkwardly. “I don’t listen to a lot of music, but I like the Beatles. My aunt had a record of their music.” He seemed to not want to talk.

“Alright. I think I’m going to go on a patrol through the woods. Just a quick sweep for anything odd. Theo, wanna come? I can help train you with your powers, but I’m not sure how much I’ll be able to do.” I kept a smile on my face while speaking. I really wanted to be able to bond with Theo more. He shouldn’t feel weird being around us. 

“Sure,” he mumbled as he stood up.

“Great. Sam, you should probably stay and watch Via. Just make sure she’s okay. I don’t think she wants to see me right now.” With that, me and Theo walked out into the forest.


	12. Talk

Samuel-12

  
  


I do not like being on Via Duty. I have to admit, that girl scares me, and it’s not because of how she looks. All I know about her appearance is that she has black hair and an eyepatch. She just seems to hate me. I understand why, though. That’s why I need to talk to her.

I knocked on Via’s door. No answer. I knocked again, and the door swung open.

“What do you want?” Via grumbled. She sounded miserable.

“Hi, Syl-”

“Via.”

“Hi, Via. Could we talk for a bit?” I said in the most polite voice I could muster. Being the son of a celebrity, I had to get used to talking to people nicely.

“Fine,” she said as she stepped out of the way. I walked into the room.

I have no clue what her room looked like, but it must’ve been messy. I strolled through shirts, walked through some soft stuffing, and tripped over a metal rod of some sort. 

I felt my way to a couch and sat down, but Via lifted me right back up. She was strong.

“Nope, my seat,” she said. I sat on the floor.

This is already very weird. Via didn’t say a single word. I honestly wasn’t sure if she was still there or not. I decided I had to say something.

“Via, I know you like Clarity.”

Via stood up immediately, then sat back down. “No, I don’t. You’re dating her. I’m not… I don’t like her.” she said very quickly.

“Come on, V. I know you aren’t a fan of me, so I started to piece together reasons why. Please, can’t we just be friends?”

I heard Via sigh. “Samuel, I just…”

“You just what?” 

It was a bad idea to talk with Via about this. She snapped.

“I don’t know! I’m so confused! Please just GET OUT OF MY ROOM!” she shouted like a bratty teenager. 

“Via, I understand. Clarity’s your best friend and you don’t want to mess anything up. I really don’t want to get between you two, but who Clar likes isn’t your choice. I’m sorry. I want to be friends. Can we call a truce?”

I listened to the sound of Via breathing heavily for a moment. I got nervous. She’s gonna drag me out of here with force any second now. I need to-

“Fine,” a single word interrupted my thoughts. “You’re right. You win. I’m just scared.” Via said quietly.

“Scared of what?” I asked in a quiet voice.

“I haven’t had time to think lately. I just realized the shock of everything that has happened lately. My dad died. I’m being hunted down by an elite force of soldiers because I have powers I don’t understand. I found a bunker in the woods owned by my missing mother. I dragged Clarity into this. I can’t even see out of my eye. I’m changing too much, and I don’t like it. I’m scared of changes. I’m not scared of things usually. But this… I’m terrified, Sam, but I can’t tell Clar. I don’t want to be seen as weak. I’m sorry.”

I was stunned by this sudden revelation. I always thought Via was a strong person that didn’t care what happened to her or what people thought of her. I was horribly wrong.

“Oh, Via… I’m sorry. I do think you should talk to Clarity, though. She’s good at comforting people.” I replied quietly.

“Okay,” Via said. The room was silent once again. We sat in the quiet for a few minutes. 

I heard Via lift herself off of the couch. “I’m going to get some food,” she said, and then she walked away. 

I sat on my bed and thought about what Via had just said to me. She’s so scared of everything that’s happening, and I had no clue. I could’ve helped her. That’s clearly not what she wanted, though. At least she doesn’t hate my guts anymore.

What about Clarity? She’s my girlfriend, and Via clearly doesn’t like that. She seems to be blaming Clar, though. She doesn’t deserve that. This is getting too complicated for me.

I guessed you could say ‘I pulled a Via’ and went right to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh via...


	13. Shelf

Via-13

I stink. I absolutely stink. It’s been around 19 days since I’ve lived in this bunker and I only have 3 sets of clothing. None of them have been washed. It doesn’t help that we don’t have a shower, either. Or a bathroom. This lifestyle is gross.

I decided this problem has to be fixed so I went looking around the bunker for some sort of hidden door. I scanned through the whole living room/kitchen. Nothing. My only choice will be going in that creepy lab room.

I took a step into the dark laboratory. It looked exactly the same. At least there’s no monster I have to fight in here. I walked over to the desk and sat down. There were various pieces of paper everywhere. I started to dig through them, looking for a map of this place, but I found something much more interesting.

I picked up the yellowed piece of paper that looked to be messily written in pen. It wrote:

_ The child of the wolf and a child of the storm will come together when the light sky turns to red _

_ Fire will burn through two, leaving the last of the group with bloodshed _

_ The star and the lightning will strike down upon the king in unison to win, but one must leave forever _

_ When the seven come together, ties will be severed _

_ Darkness and hope will fight as one _

_ Or else their journey will be done _

_ Peace must be found between them all, _

_ or else the seven will lose the brawl _

-Eugene Harmon, Prophecy ability, 1997

  
  


What’s this supposed to mean? The wolf? The seven? This is too much for my small brain to handle.

This paper is important. I’m not sure how I know, but it is crucial. I have a gut feeling. Instead of leaving the paper in the open, it needs to be hidden. It has to be safe. 

I walked over to the shelf of weapons on the southern side of the room. I knew there was a small nook behind the shelf that would be a perfect place for hiding, er, keeping something safe in.

I stuck my hand behind the worn shelf feeling for the nook. My fingers made contact with the small hole and I tried to push the paper down into it, but my arm couldn't reach down far enough. This is a lot harder than I thought it would be. Sighing, I shoved my lanky body into the shelf and pushed with all my might. The shelf shockingly went sliding easily. I stumbled, as I obviously wasn’t expecting the weapon shelf to just move, and fell to the ground. 

From my place on the ground, I looked up at the wall where the shelf was, or, used to be: There wasn’t a wall. Instead of the normal gray stone, a passageway led down into a dark area below me. This place just keeps surprising me.

I should probably wait for Clarity, I thought, but I really want to see this. It could be over an hour until she gets back. I don’t have that much patience. I took a step down the cracked stone stairs and went into the unknown.

There was a washing machine and a bathroom. That’s all I needed. 

I stepped down into a long hallway with 2 doors on each side. The room was extremely dark, so I flicked on the light switch and was amazed at what I saw. The hallway had murals all along the walls. Each scene depicted a different animal and an environment. I ran my fingers along the rough paint. It was beautiful. I turned to look at the first door on the right. The door was painted white with a minty blue tinge. I pushed open the door and immediately laughed in joy.

There was a shower and a toilet that seemed to be in perfect condition. The room was shockingly clean, with white floor tiles and light blue wallpaper. It even had toilet paper! I ran back into the hallway hoping to find more useful items. This secret area is great so far.

I stood in front of the last door on the left. I might as well not go in order. It makes it more fun. This door was a worn dark red and had some long gashes through the wood. I pushed the door open and gasped. The room had a large mat on the floor with training dummies and punching bags placed around the room. There was a weight set, a treadmill, and what looked like a small obstacle course. I felt around the wall for a light switch and clicked it on. Lights hanging from the ceiling illuminated the charcoal gray walls of the room. This place would be a thousand times better to train in than my room. It was perfect.

I dashed back into the hallway. I went straight across the hallway and tried pushing open the dark brown door across from the training room, but it wouldn’t budge. There was a keyhole. Great. I’ll have to try opening it later. Right now, I need to look at everything else.

I walked over to the first door on the left, which was a soft green. I walked inside to find a perfectly normal kitchen. It had a fridge (which was still working), a freezer, stove, oven, microwave, everything. I checked the pantry to find lots of apocalypse type food. Yay. I picked up a can to check the expiration date: 2001. That’s disgusting. I should give it to Samuel, I thought, before deciding against it. He’s nice, I guess. I tossed the can into a garbage bag, which was in a drawer I randomly opened, and headed back upstairs to share my findings.


	14. Paper

Clarity-14

Theo did not say a single word while we were walking. He seemed much more interested in nature. I watched him as he wrote down notes into a little journal he carried around. It was entertaining seeing him be happy, for once.

When we got back to the bunker, Sam and Via were talking excitedly. Via’s eyes, or eye, lit up when she saw me. 

“Clar! I found a secret room! There’s a toilet! And a kitchen! And a workout! And a was-“

I cut her off. “Ok, you sound very excited. I’ll check it out now.” I’m glad Via was this happy. I haven’t seen her smiling like this in a while.

Via grabbed my hand and dragged me into the creepy lab room. She stood in front of the shelf of weapons.

“Uh, wow. Interesting.” I stated.

Via rolled her eye, then she pushed on the shelf. It slid to the side, revealing stairs going down to a hall. Via ran right down, but I took my time walking down.

As I took a step, I slipped on a piece of paper and barely stayed standing. The paper slid out into the air, and instinctively, I grabbed it. The paper was yellowed and had some odd writing on it. I took a minute to read. There was some sort of prophecy. I dashed down the stairs to Via.

“V! Have you seen this?” I waved the paper in her face.

“Uh, yeah,” she said quietly, “I was gonna show it to you, but I was a little caught up with finding this area. Can we just go over that paper later?”

I frowned. I really would rather research this paper now. It seems important. But, having a working toilet and shower is pretty important too. I followed Via down the hallway.

Instead of sleeping, I’ve been awake for a few hours scrolling through my phone in the dark. I can’t stop thinking about that weird paper. I was going to ask Via about it after we ate dinner, but she fell right asleep on the couch. Typical V. 

I stared at a picture on my Instagram feed. This girl named Jessie Storm has been on the rise in popularity lately, and I have gotten curious about her. The star, who has over a million followers, has bubblegum pink hair that’s always in a different hairstyle and striking yellow eyes. I’m guessing they’re just contacts, though, since there’s no way that’s natural. A lot about her life is mysterious. The only things really known about her is that she loves interacting with people, is very rich, and is transgender. Many fans have been following her since the start of her transition, but Jessie has really seemed to peak in popularity lately. It’s odd that she seems to be posting more ever since Via and I ran away. I vaguely remember hearing the last name Storm, but I can’t put my finger on it. Oh well.

As I swiped down to look at another photo, I heard the door of my room creak open. Via, now wide awake, leaped onto my bed and plopped down next to me.

“Whatcha looking at?” she asked as she leaned her head over to see my screen.

“Just this famous person. Nothing exciting,” I said as I switched my phone off. “Why are you awake? It’s really late.”

Via smirked. “I could ask you the same question. Something bothering you?”

I sighed and turned to look at her. “Can we talk about the paper now?“

“Oops,” Via interrupted, “I forgot about that. You know I can’t pay attention to anything for longer than a few minutes. Yeah, the paper was weird. It looks legit though. Do you have it on you? I want to see it again.” Via stared down at me. Her eyes were looking much more red than lately.

“Only if I get to do something first.”

She looked confused. “Okay.”

I reached up to Via’s face. Her face turned red as I gently pulled her eyepatch off. Her cut seemed to be almost fully healed, but her eye was still just white. She pulled back.

“What was that for? Give it back.” Via reached her arm out to snatch the eyepatch out of my hands, but I pulled it away.

“No. It makes you look scary. I don’t like it.” I mumbled quietly. Via immediately seemed to soften.

“Oh. I’m sorry,” she replied. We sat in the silence for a moment.

“I’m getting worried, V. You’re not acting right,” I announced. There was a pause before Via said anything.

“I’m scared, Clarity. I’m really scared.” Via spoke quietly. I turned my head to look at her, and gasped as I saw tears streaming down her face. I’ve never seen her cry before.

I reached my arms out and wrapped Via into a hug. She broke down crying into my shoulder. I haven’t thought about how much Via has gone through. All I noticed was that she was getting angrier. I never thought about why.

“I’m so scared. I’m scared of myself. I’m scared of what our lives are becoming. I’m scared that you’ll never be back with your family. It’s all my fault,” Via spoke between sobs. 

I felt tears spring into my eyes. “Sylvia. Look at me.” I pulled back to stare her in the eye. “This is not your fault. I chose to come with you to this place. Even though I’m basically trapped here, I’ve had so much freedom. You know how strict my parents are.”

“At least you have parents!” Via snapped. I flinched, and she immediately looked ashamed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. This is exactly what I’m talking about. I don’t want to hurt you.”

I pulled her back into a hug. “It’s okay, Via. We can do anything as long as we have each other. Understand?”

Via laughed. “Fine. I understand.”

I smiled. “Let’s read this prophecy now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i cried while writing this because i know what gonna happen


End file.
